I have to admit that when I first heard about Pelplin, nothing came to my mind about it. I didn’t know where it was or why it was worth going there.
I am certainly not alone in this. Most people I spoke to had the same idea about this place. That’s why we decided to verify this place on the Internet. To be honest, we didn’t expect what we saw. (And later it turned out that once I must have heard about this place in history class at school)
How did I end up in Pelplin?
Spis treści
I signed up for a trip to Pelplin a bit by accident. It sounds strange, but the motivation for the trip was the second point of the same trip, i.e. Malbork (specifically, the Malbork Castle). Practically all my friends in school times were there (even several times). Unfortunately, I was unable to do so, and I regretted it very much. That’s why I decided that if there is an opportunity to go there, it’s worth taking advantage of. Besides, an independent trip to Malbork seemed a bit difficult in terms of organization.
The solution turned out to be PTTK (pol. Polskie Towarzystwo Turystyczno-Krajoznawcze), specifically BORT PTTK Poznań. Until now, I traveled with this travel agency mainly to Germany, but this time I chose a less popular destination – Poland.
As a result, City Pelplin appeared in my life by himself.
Where is the city of Pelplin located?
Pelplin is located in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, the same as Malbork, Toruń or Gdańsk. It is about 35 kilometers to Malbork (less in a straight line) and you have to cross the Vistula River. Ethnographically, Pelplin belongs to the region called Kociewie (of which origin is e.g. Wojciech Cejrowski, traveler and author of travel books), located in Gdańsk Pomerania.
What is worth seeing in Pelplin?
As the name of the article indicates, Pelplin (German Pelplin, Kashubian Pôłplëno) is a town founded by the Cistercians. The first mention of the city comes from 1274, when the Cistercians received these lands.
Particularly noteworthy are, for example:
- Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Pelplin (Roman Catholic temple)
- Bishop and seminary gardens
- Archdiocesan Museum in Pelplin
- former city market
What is worth seeing in the Pelplin Basilica?
The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Pelplin is a Gothic style church. Until 1824, it belonged to the Cistercian Order, and after that date it became the property of the Bishop. In the years 2014-2020, the temple underwent renovation. -> more on the site https://bazylika-pelplin.pl/
The main altar of the Basilica – 25 meters high from 1623-40. The altar is practically in the second half of the temple.
Baroque side organs – located in the southern arm of the transept, above the passage connecting the temple with the monastery
There are many interesting stained glass windows in the temple. At one of them, above the entrance to the temple, there is the Romantic Organ.
The aisles in the temple are also noteworthy.
Rococo and Neo-Rococo confessionals – located in the side aisles. Each of them is unique and unique in its own way.
Other interesting places near the basilica. The 3rd photo shows the courtyard, the courtyard inside the cathedral, and the 4th photo shows the corridors decorated with paintings (there is a courtyard outside the window).
Bishop and seminary gardens
These gardens are located right next to the basilica
Diocesan Museum in Pelplin
This museum has many valuable exhibits, such as the Szafkowa Madonna from Lubiszewo or the only copy of Gutenberg’s bible in Poland.
Sightseeing
According to the website, visiting the Basilica is possible every day from 9:00 to 17:00, excluding Sundays and Mondays. It is also not recommended to visit during mass (last entry is possible up to 30 minutes before closing).
Price list for visiting the post-Cistercian complex:
- Normal ticket – PLN 15
- Reduced ticket – PLN 12
- Ticket with a large family card – PLN 10
- Guide service – PLN 80 in Polish – PLN 100 in a foreign language
Tickets are available at the Kociewie Cultural Center at Aleja Cystersów 4. That is, in the building at the entrance to the Baroque park complex from the side of Collegium Marianum.
From what I noticed, the guides and security close the cathedral behind people with tickets. Even if you manage to enter, you may be kicked out of the temple. During my visit, the guide who was showing us around threw a group of several people out of the church. Therefore, it is worth getting a ticket to avoid problems.
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